A stretcher is a medical device used to carry casualties or an incapacitated person from one place to another. Various embodiments of stretchers are known and used in the art.
Commercial medical use stretchers are popular and well known devices which function well under most circumstances. These stretchers are commonly used by medical personnel such as paramedics, nurses, and other medical specialists for transporting an injured or incapacitated person from a first location to a second location. Commercial medical use stretchers are often useful when evacuation is effectuated by an ambulance or other motorized vehicle, however because these stretchers are bulky and heavy they require two persons to effectively transport the injured person. Additionally, the wheels on most commercial medical stretchers are designed for use on concrete, tile, and other level and flat ground.
This invention is particularly concerned with the evacuation of injured or incapacitated persons in rural, underdeveloped, disaster, and war affected terrains, where the above-described commercial medical stretchers are incompatible or useless. Currently available stretchers for rural, underdeveloped, disaster and war affected terrains, including those currently used by the U.S. military, require two persons to effectuate an evacuation. Furthermore, these stretchers are excessively bulky, heavy, and difficult to operate under normal extreme conditions presented in disaster and war affected terrains.